1 Week Until Challenge - Preparation Begins

We are only 1 week away from Challenge time! I am so excited. All this week I am going to be getting prepared to make this challenge ROCK! In fact I am so anxious that I have already taken my new TurboFire ® Deluxe out of the package! I am ready to feel the "FIYA" starting tomorrow morning at 5 AM CST I will be ROCKING IT OUT TURBOFIRE ® STYLE!!!
I just finished watching the "Get Fired Up" motivational DVD. I'm PUMPED!!! Chalene Johnson is one of the most AMAZING trainers out there. This girl puts heart and soul into her passion for TURBO and helping people get fit and healthy. WOW! If anyone can get your butt out of bed for those 5 AM wake-up calls, it's this girl!!!

I'm so excited about starting a new program, especially with the onset of our 4-Week Clean Eating Challenge. But I have a hidden agenda, too. My son and future daughter-in-law are taking me to see AEROSMITH live in concert on August 3, 2010 in DALLAS, TEXAS!!!!

For those of you that don't know...I am a HUGE AEROSMITH FAN!!! STEVEN TYLER, BABY!!! Love it! So I am determined to wear my brand new Aerosmith belt buckle and some of those cute low-rise tight fitting jeans so I can show off my Aerosmith tattoo! I know this is going to be my ticket to making that a reality. Hey, everyone has to have a little motivation...LOL.

Anyway, today was clean out the pantry day. I made a shopping list of some challenge worthy foods and happy to report I am "READY SET GO!" Here is copy of my shopping list. Not saying you need to go and buy everything on the list, just giving you an example of the kinds of foods I will be incorporating in this challenge. I am also going to do the 5-Day Inferno Plan that came with the TurboFire ® - hey, I have an Aerosmith Concert to go to! So I am going to take the metabolism booster to the max and bring it VEGAN STYLE! I plan to post my progress daily to the Cinderella Pact thread. So if you are interested in popping over and just having a "looksee" before you commit, drop in anytime and track my progress!


Vegan Shopping List

Essentials
Ener-G Egg Replacer

Proteins
Dried or canned beans—pintos, kidney, chickpeas, lentils, etc.
Tofu
All Natural Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
Nuts & Seeds

Dairy
Non-dairy milks—soy, almond, hemp, rice, oat, etc.
Unsweetened Coconut milk
Toffuti Sour Supreme (sour cream substitute)
Toffuti Soy Cheese slices
Smart Balance Light Vegan spread (butter substitute)
 
Whole Grains
Pasta—quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat soba, etc.
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Millet
Barley
Flours—brown rice, soy, cornmeal, buckwheat, potato
 
Fruits
Apples
Bananas
Berries –raspberries, blueberries, strawberries
Oranges
Seedless Grapes
Cantalope
Watermelon
 

Vegetables

Cabbage
Canned tomatoes
Canned vegetables—artichoke hearts, black olives, hearts of palm, roasted red peppers
Frozen/Fresh vegetables—corn, peas, broccoli, carrots, onions, peppers, celery, cauliflower
Sweet Potatoes
Leafy Greens—romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale
Baby Carrots
Celery Hearts
Mushrooms
Sour Kraut
Cucumbers
Bean Sprouts
 

Oils & Fats

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Canola Oil
Ground FlaxseedAvocados 

Spices
Garlic
Ginger
Chili  Powder
Cumin
Cilantro
Parsley
Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Curry
Creole Seasoning
Cayenne
Cinnamon
Oregano
Red Pepper Flakes
 
Sweeteners
Raw Agave
Stevia
 
Miscellaneous
Unsweetened All Natural Applesauce
Green Tea
Capers
Pickles
Vinegar
Hot Sauce
All Natural Salsas
Wasabi
Hummus

READY TO BRING IT!!!

Recipe of the Day

Gluten Free Banana Muffins

3/4 cup Brown Rice Flour
3/4 cup Soy Flour
1/2 cup Quick Cooking Oats
3 tbsp Ground Flax Seed
3 tsp ENERG Egg Replacer
3 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 cups Mashed Bananas (3 medium over ripe)
1/2 cup All Natural Applesauce
1/2 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Either line muffin tin with waxed muffin cups or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients and sift to mix thoroughly. Blend in remaining ingredients and stir. Batter will be thick. Let set for about 5 minutes and batter becomes fluffy. Spoon into prepared muffin tin and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and place muffin tin on cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing. Serve with fresh fruit. Simply DELICIOUS!

Serving size: 1 muffin
Approximately: 10 Servings

Calories:  200  Total Fat:  9 g   Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:  355 mg   Potassium:  356 mg   Carbs:  25 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g   Sugar: 6 g   Protein: 6 g

Change Your Body - Change Your Life!

4 weeks of Clean Eating & Exercise

TONY HORTON EAT CLEAN THROW DOWN CHALLENGE II

1st Prize
YOUR CHOICE of (1) of the following Workout Sets:
P90X Plus - 5 Additional Extreme workouts on a 4 DVD Set
Brazil Butt Lift - 5 Booty Blasting Workouts to lift, firm and shape your behind
Slim in 6 Rapid Results - Remastered 6 week program to bring you results
Turbo Jam - Chalene's calorie blasting kickboxing fun, fast and effective workout set
10-Minute Trainer- See real results in as little as 10 Minutes a Day
Rev Abs - the 90-Day Ab Solution

2nd Prize
P90X Recovery Formula - Refuel, Re-Energize and Reduce muscle soreness 30-Day Supply Tub

(3) 3rd Prize winners
Sample pack of each Chocolate & Greenberry Shakeology with Shakeology Shaker

Here are the rules for the upcoming challenge:

The Challenge begins on Monday, July 5th thru Saturday, July 31, 2010. It is a 4-Week Challenge that will focus primarily on EATING CLEAN TONY'S WAY! That means you must stick to the guidelines:

a. NO Alcohol or Caffeine
b. NO Dairy products
c. NO Refined sugars or flours
d. NO Gluten products (wheat products; whole grain wheat or otherwise).
e. NO Meat or animal products (this also includes eggs & fish)

Exception: You may use the P90X Recovery Formula to help recover after your workouts. This formula is specially designed to help you with muscle recovery/repair after intense workouts. It must be used within 1 hour of your workout!

I will also allow Shakeology as a meal replacement. This stuff is just to good to keep out! But remember you can't mix it with dairy products! However almond, soy, rice & hemp milk is a great alternative :D Only 1 Shakeology shake per day...I still want you to get creative with the veggies!
http://bit.ly/EatClean4Real

1) Each participant should post their beginning stats prior to the challenge. Stats include current weight and current measurements according to: shoulders, chest, biceps, waist, hips, thighs and calves. You may track any other measurements - these are just the core I will use for the Group's TOTAL LOSS!

2) Each participant must post accountability daily in order to stay in the challenge. Your accountability must include what you have eaten that day and your workout done. I will allow you a 2 day grace period. That means if you are gone on the weekend you have until Monday night to post Saturday's accountability and Tuesday night to post Sunday's accountability. It is ALL ABOUT BEING ACCOUNTABLE! So keep us up to date on where you are in your program

3) You must identify what fitness regimen you are pursuing prior to the challenge. For example if you are doing P90X you should follow your program schedule. So you should be accountable for 6 days of workouts. If you are doing ChaLean Extreme, you would be accountable for 5 workout days. You must clearly identify your REST Days. If you will be doing a hybrid program (combination of two or more programs), you must post your preplanned workout schedule for the 4 week period prior to the challenge and you should allow for no more than 2 rest days a week. If you are planning a fitness regimen other than Team Beachbody products, you must workout a minimum of 45 minutes per day at least 5 days per week and should post your 4 week preplanned workout schedule prior to the challenge.

4) During the four week challenge you will be allowed (4) Oops! Notice I said (4)! This challenge is only four weeks. Your Oops! can be used for a workout or a meal - you decide how to use them. The Oops can only be used for the replacement of (1) meal or (1) workout. It is possible to use all (4) in one day if you want to - you decide how to use them, but remember you will only have (4). If you want MAXIMUM results, you need to dig deep and commit!! I suggest only using an Oops! for each of these when it is truly merited. Let's face it, things come up unexpectedly (friends show up and everyone wants to go out to eat, family functions and maybe you overslept and couldn't get the workout in). This just gives you an opportunity to still be in the Challenge if the unexpected happens. If you can make it without any Oops!, well then BONUS for YOU!!!

5) Don't forget to go to the Workout Groups and Join Our Workout Group. Just do a search on "Cinderella Pact" in the Workout Groups and you will find us! If you can't find it, go to my profile and it is the top workout group listed for me!!! YAY US!

6) Monday nights are RESULT Nights! Every Monday we will post updated stats...I know, but we need to stay on task and one of the best ways to do it is stay ACCOUNTABLE. So every Monday you will need to Weigh in, Measure Up and Report those stats...WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO ROCK THIS CHALLENGE!!!

7) Certain things are bound to come up that might need more clarification. I will keep the Challenge Details updated on page 1! So check there for updates!

8) You will need to be a Team Beachbody member to participate. Don't have an account...NO PROBLEM. Sign up for a FREE account at : http://bit.ly/FREEwithEquildottsin . You don't have to do a Team Beachbody Program to WIN, but you will need to post to our Message Board at http://bit.ly/P90XFairyTale and will need to log your workouts into the WOWY Super Gym. If this is your first time as a member, just shoot me an email at equildottsin@beachbodycoach.com and I can help you get setup and on your way to FUN, COMMUNITY, and a SLIMMER TRIMMER YOU!
Ok, that is the Challenge Details! Now let's take the next few weeks to ask as many questions as you need to prepare yourself to be SUCCESSFUL! This is really about helping you to learn how to make healthier choices so you can reach the ultimate goal - a new healthier happier YOU!!!

As I said, the Challenge is quite simple - but it will be HARD! This will definitely bring you out of your comfort zone. DIG DEEP! I promise you, you will totally be amazed with your results!

LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL OF US GETTING BIKINI FINE
for our RUNWAY SHINE!!!
LET'S BRING IT!!!

How to Increase Your Metabolism

Metabolism is the process of breaking down protein, carbohydrates and fats into energy your body uses. The rate of your metabolism is determined by the number of calories you consume and the number of calories you use. The number of calories your body uses depends on several factors from your daily exercise routine, heredity, age, gender to your genetic makeup. There is NO perfect metabolism as it is as unique as you are. However, there are ways in which you can increase your metabolic rate to burn more calories.

Exercise is a great way to increase your metabolism. I realize most of you probably have a job where you spend the majority of your time and then all the added responsibilites of family life. Fortunately, in as little as 45 minutes a day can have a significant impact on sending your metabolism soaring. One of the best exercises to increase metabolism is strength training. Simply because your body can burn up to 15 additional calories per pound of muscle trying to maintain it. Strength training also has the core component of an "afterburn." This afterburn effect actually can burn calories up to 24 hours after you have exercised as the body recovers and repairs muscle fiber. That's what has made those P90X ® workouts such a great choice. Tony Horton really knows his stuff with that "muscle confusion." By giving you a variety of different moves to master, P90X ® will continually challenge your body to build more lean muscle. The more muscle you build, the more calories you can burn! It's not rocket science - it's PURE GENIUS!!! Not only am I reshaping my body getting that nice toned look, I am also giving my metabolism a kickstart to keep me lean.

Another form of exercise that will give you a great afterburn effect is known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT involves short intervals of maximum intensity burst exercise followed by longer intervals of moderate intensity exercise. Because HIIT pushes you beyond your aerobic exercise level, it also increases the amount of recovery time long after your exercise session is done. This simply means you will be burning additional calories as your body tries to recover. In order for this type of training to be highly effective, you have to give your maximum effort during these energy burst, not just simply increase your heart rate. Because these sessions can be so demanding, you definitely want to allow your body to recover thoroughly. No back to back sessions here. HIIT is designed to be highly effective for those looking to improve their cardiovascular fitness and endurance while shedding the fat and maintaining muscle. Team Beachbody definitely understood the need for such a program and will be releasing TurboFire ® on June 18, 2010. So if you are already doing a strength training program like the P90X ®, this will definitely bring you to a whole new level. Not to worry if this is your first Team Beachbody program or you don't want to take chances with high impact to the joints. Chalene Johnson specifically included a modifier to the TurboFire ® to allow you to get the same intensity while increasing your endurance and fitness. That way you can still work right along with the TurboFire ® gang with modified moves that won't be stressful on your joints. It is a program designed to help everyone enjoy the benefits of HIIT!

You can also increase your metabolic rate by eating small and frequent meals. Skipping meals won't help you lose weight, in fact it just possibly could make you gain weight. When you go for extending periods of time not refueling your body, it will go into "starvation mode." At this point your body drastically slows down the metabolic rate as a means of survival. So that even though you may be eating less food - your body will be storing more when you eat. By eating five to six small meals over the course of the day you can actually increase your metabolism. Most generally I try to eat breakfast, a healthy snack, lunch, another healthy snack and dinner. I normally eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I always make breakfast my number one priority, because as it implies I am "breaking" my "fast" from not fueling my body while I slept. Even though I am getting my rest, my body is still burning calories repairing and restoring muscle. One of my favorite breakfast is Shakeology ® . It gives me everything I need to start my morning off healthy and is convenient enough to "SHAKE" and "GO" when I am in a rush.

Last but not least, drink plenty of water. Just drinking plenty of water can increase your metabolic rate by as much as 30 percent. Even better drink lots of cold water. Why? Because your body will actually work twice as hard to heat it up in the stomach. This warm up effect will spike your metabolism. Also, one of your liver's main functions is to convert stored fat into energy. But if your body is dehydrated, it has to pick up the slack of kidneys to remove waste. So if the liver has to concentrate on helping your kidneys out, guess what is happening to the fat? Yep, you guessed it - it's being stored! All this could be controlled as easy as drinking 8 (8 oz.) glasses of water a day. And ditch that caffeine! Caffeine dehydrates the body...so if you are telling yourself you get plenty of fluids with your soda, tea and coffee...let this be your wake-up call. Want real results - latch on the the great power of H20 and drink up! Here is even a tip to get you started - invest in some plastic straws. Ever notice how quickly your drink disappears with a straw? Same thing can happen with your water glass. Just sip along to a new thinner you. Best part, most places it is FREE!

There you have it, three great ways to increase your metabolism: Exercise, Fueling Your Body Frequently, and Hydrating with Water. So get out there and BRING IT!!!

Time to Plan Your Fitness

I've decided to make June my "Fitness Awareness Month" to get myself psyched for the upcoming Turbofire ® Explosion!!! So I am going to dedicate the next series of blog posts to helping others prepare for their fitness journey and getting the body they have always wanted. I'm excited about my life and love where my fitness and nutrition are taking me.

So now it is time to pay it forward.

Some of you are just now taking the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle. You've decided no more fat clothes, fat jokes or just plain old fat anything. You are done with the excuses and now you have your mind right. This time you are going to succeed. So how do you get started?

First, you will need to decide on an exercise program that will best fit your fitness goals. Do you want to lose weight, tone up, add muscle or maybe a little of all three? Are you looking for a program that is disciplined or do you like one that just gets you moving? Picking a fitness program needs to be unique to your fitness goals as well as something you are going to enjoy. So where the P90X ® might be the popular choice, it isn't necessarily the one size fits all program. Not saying that it won't be an option in the future as your fitness goals change - just saying it is nice to know that Team Beachbody works hard to incorporate a variety of programs to meet the needs of the various levels of fitness. Still not sure just what program might be best suited for you? Then check out the comparison chart to get a few ideas. Of course, if you still have questions or would like more information on a certain program, you can always contact me at equildottsin@beachbodycoach.com. I will be more than happy to work with you in finding a program that will get you started in the right direction.

After you have decided on your program, the next thing I would recommend is building a good support system. Letting others know your course of action and asking for their support can sometimes be difficult. All to often friends or family members, though not intentional, can actually sabotage the greatest of efforts. If you have never been overweight, it is hard to understand the emotional side of the weight loss journey. It is not as if there were a magical switch you could just turn on and off when you wanted to lose a few pounds. If that were the case, there would be no obesity. That is one of the reasons I started the Cinderella Pact. I wanted a place where people could come for real support and motivation. A place where we could share our successes and get support through the challenges. The girls on the Cinderella Pact thread on the P90X ® Programs Message boards are working hard to make their journey a successful one. They are a great inspiration and a wonderful resource to finding ways around the stumbling blocks that come up. We are a team and we definitely understand what you may be going through. Feel free to pop over to our thread and check out the community we have built, not to mention picking up some great nutritional recipes, too. It doesn't matter what fitness program you choose, we have a variety of different programs going on in there and many veterans to other programs there as well. I am certain someone can get you going in the right direction. If you have questions, we definitely will find the answers.

If you are not a member of Team Beachbody, definitely come in and take us for a test drive. You can always start as a FREE member where you will have access to the Team Beachbody Message boards, the WOWY SuperGym, your own Personal Coach, the public chatrooms, helpful fitness tools and workout buddies to keep you motivated - just to name a few features. Then later if you decide to become a paid Club Member, for as little as $2.99 a week you will have access to such great features as the VIP celebrity trainers, the VIP chatroom, your own fitness blog, nutritional recipes and even personalized meal plans! It really is a great place to come and track your progress and share with other people that are making fitness their lifelong plan. I've met many great inspirational friends and definitely know this is the best place to keep me on track and up to date with the best information and programs available to help me continue my success.

Now once you have all this in place, it's time to focus on the nutrition. Yes, learning to eat properly is going to be key to your success. Sure finding the right exercise program will get you results, but if you really want those results to SHINE, you have to have the proper nutrition. Team Beachbody has the tools to get you started. They even give you Michi's Ladder where you can view what foods you need to incorporate in your daily nutrition to get on track and stay on track. Most programs will come with nutrition guides that will get you started in the right direction making healthier choices right from the beginning. There is also a wealth of information available on the Team Beachbody message boards if you have unique or special needs with your diet. The Cinderella Pact has been working towards a Vegan/Vegetarian diet plan and having GREAT results while eating GREAT foods. Just because it's healthy, doesn't mean it can't taste delicious. We are even finding ways to recreate our family's favorite comfort foods and making healthier versions. Can we say, "YUMMY?" You won't find any cardboard box dinners in here. Oh no, it is real food for real people. This is a lifestyle - not a quickfix yo-yo plan. What you learn here will keep you moving forward towards reaching your success goals. Many of our members even go onto become coaches, like me! It is all about paying it forward.

There you have it - three surefire ways to get started on the right foot to reaching the ultimate goal of becoming the New Healthier YOU!!! The RIGHT Exercise Program - a GREAT Support System - and Proper Nutriton! It doesn't get any better than that! Good luck on your journey and remember, "It's not a race - It's a lifestyle change!" See you on the fit-side!